Railroad foot-guard



(No Model.)

0. P. BEERSTEGHER.

RAILROAD FOOT GUARD.

No. 606501. Patented June 28,1898.

3 woe/"tor vrre FFlCE.

CHARLES F. BEERSTEGHER, OF CENTREVILLE, MICHIGAN.

RAILROAD FooT-e UARD.

SPECIFICATION forming ea of Letters Patent No. 606,501; dated June as, 1898. Application filed January 26, 1898. Serial No. 668,023 (No model.)

siding at Centreville, in the county of St. Jo

seph and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad Foot-Guards; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the .invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of myinvention is to provide an improved form of foot-guard for railway-frogs which will prevent the foot of a pedestrian from becomingengaged by and caught be tween the two converging ends of two railsections.

The invention consists of a plate of spring metal secured at one end'to a tie or other sta-, tionary portion located between the converging ends of two rails, the opposite end of said spring-plate being provided with rollers which will permit of the free longitudinal movement thereof and at the same time prevent the upward movement of the plate'and the consequent detachment thereof from the rails.

The invention also consists in-the peculiar construction of the sprin g-plate itself, whereby the end thereof which is attached to the rails may be securely held in place and a fulcrum provided for the free end of said plate.

The invention also consists in other details of construction and combinations of parts, which will be hereinafter more fully-described and claimed.

In the drawings forming part of this speci- 'fication, Figure 1 represents a plan view of two converging rail-sections with my improved foot-guard applied, a portion of the rails being broken away to show the later.- ally-extending tongues on the guard which serve as a fulcrum therefor. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the same.

a r Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line or a: of Fig.

1, the same extending through the tie, to which one end of the guard is secured, and showing the recesses between said tie and the bases of the rails. Fig. 1 is a detail perspective view of the guard detached. Fig. 5 is a cross-section on the line 'y y of Fig. 1, the same extending through the rollers at the forward end of the guard.

space between the rails 1 1;"

in the different views.

To show the application of my invention,

1 have illustrated in the drawings two converging rail-sections 1 1, secured tothe ties 2 3, the tie 2 being cut away, as shown at 4, forming recesses lying directly beneath theconstituting my improved foot-guard. The

sides of said plate gradually converge from one end to the other, so as to conform to the Atth'e end of the plate 5 adjacent to itspoint of connection with the tie 2 the same isformed with out wardlyextending tongues or flanges 6 6, which fit within the recesses 4, formed in the tie 2, the said tongues when in place bearing Like reference-numerals indicate like parts.

against the upper surface of said tie and the under surface of the rails 1 1. The said tongues are formed by cuttingaway the material of the plate, as shown at 7 7, forming a narrow contracted web 8, which extends thereon, which when the plate is in place rest upon the top surface of the base of each of the rails 1 and constitute a fulcrum for the outer free end of said spring-plate. Just beyond the fingers or tongues 10 the plate is curved upwardly until it reaches a point just beneath or'in line with the lower surface of the head of each of the rails 1. The outer free'end of the plate 5 is deflected downwardly, as shown at 11, and is formed with an eye or loop 12, within which is located a shaft 13, having rollers 14 14, mounted upon therouter ends thereof, as clearly shown in Fig. 5 *of the drawings. Said rollers are mounted loosely on the'shaft 13, and between the inner ends L of the hubs thereof is located a coiled spring 15, which tends to urge the rollers outwardly in contact with the inner surfaces of the webs of the adjacent rails 1 1. The periphery of each of said rollers is beveled, as shown, so that it will contact with the top surface of the base and the undersurface of the head of the rail 1. Upon the outer ends of the devices, which pass through the block 18, the

plate 5, and the tie 2.

As thus constructed, it will be seen that when my improved foot-guard is in its normal position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 ofthe drawings,'the space between the rails 1 1 is completely covered, and asthe said plate will not yield to an ordinary pressure it is impossible for the foot of a pedestrian to be caught between said rails and be held thereby. As a train passes over the rails 1, however, said spring-plate 5 will yield, and as the same is compressed a slight longitudinal movement to the free end thereof will be given. The

friction caused by said longitudinal move-- ment is reduced to a minimum by the rollers 14, heretofore referred to. It will also be seen that as the rollers 14 are held outwardly in contact with the adjacentfaces of the rails 1 1 and bear against'the bases and heads of said rails upward or outward movement of the plate 5 is effectually prevented, while a slight longitudinal movement thereof is permitted.

I am aware that it is not broadly new to provide a foot-guard for frogs or converging rail-sections consisting of a spring-plate incapable of yielding under ordinary pressure, 1

but adapted to be compressed by the weight of a train passing over the rail, and I do not claim such construction broadly; but I am not aware that rollers have been provided in the free ends of such plates which not only permit of the longitudinal movement thereof, but prevent the accidental disconnection of the plate upon the rails by the engagement of said rollers with the under surface of the heads of said rails.

What is claimed as my invention, therefore, is as follows:

1. A foot-guard for converging rail-sections, comprising a spring-plate secured at one end to a stationary portion of the roadbed, covering the space between the rails and provided at its opposite end with antifrictional devices.

2. A footguard for converging rail-sections, consisting of a plate of spring metal secured at one end to a stationary part of the road-bed, inclosing the space between the rails and provided. at its free end with rollers, as and for the purpose set forth.

' 3. A footguard for converging rail-sections, consisting of a plate of spring metal secured at one end toa tie or other stationary part of the road-bed, deflected upwardly from its point of connection with said tie, and having a flat portion covering the space between the rails, and rollers in the free end thereof bearing against the bases of the two opposite rails, and adapted to engage the lower surfaces of the heads of said rails, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. A foot-guard for converging rail-sections consisting of a plate of spring metal, secured at one end to a tie or other stationary part of the road-bed, deflected upwardly from its point of connection with said tie, having a flat portion covering the space between the rails and provided with a downwardly-defiected portion adjacent to its free end which terminates in a loop, and a double roller whose shank is inclosed by said loop and whose engaging portions bear against the bases of the rails and are adapted to engage the under side of the heads of the rails,

as and for the purpose set forth.

5. A footguard for converging "rail-sea tions, consisting of a plate of spring metal having a base and flat portion and an inclined web vbetween said base and flat portion,

formed by slots or recesses, the said flat portion being provided with laterally-extending tongues or fingers adapted to bear against the upper surface of the base of said rails, and the base of said plate adapted to fit beneath the base of the rails, as and for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination with a pair of converging rail-sections and the ties to which they are secured, one of said ties being cut away forming recesses beneath the bases ofsaid rails, of a foot-guard consisting of a plate of spring metal having a base adapted to fit within the recess in said tie, provided with laterally-extending tongues or fingers adapted to bear against the top surface of the bases of said rails, provided with an inclined portion adjacent to said tongues, and a fiat portion lying'adjacent to the head of the rails, and covering the space between them, as and for the purpose set forth.

7. A footguard for converging rail-sections, comprising a spring-plate secured at one end to a stationary portion of the roadbed, covering a space between the rails and provided at its opposite end with outwardly spring-pressed rollers, as and for the purpose set forth.

8. A footguard for converging rail-sections, comprising a spring-plate secured at one end to a stationary portion of the roadbed, covering the space between the rails and provided at its opposite end with a' loop, a shaft fitting within said loop, rollers loosely mounted on said shaft, and a spring surrounding said shaft and engaging the adjacent ends of the hubs of said rollers, as and for the purpose set forth.

9. A footguard for converging rail-sections, comprising a spring-plate secured at one end to a stationary portion of the roadends of the hubs of said rollers, as and for [0 bed, covering the space between the rails and the purpose set forth.

provided at its opposite end with a loop, a In testimony whereof I affix m signature shaft fitting Withinsaid loop having heads or in presence of two Witnesses.

enlargements upon its opposite ends, rollers 1 1 1 loosely mounted upon the ends of said shaft OHARLEb BEEBSlEuIER' and provided with sockets or recesses in Witnesses:

which said heads fit, and a coiled spring sur- W. I, ASHLEY,

rounding said shaft'and engaging the inner G. A. BEERSTEOHER. 

